


Basket Case

by Andromytta, nealinor



Series: ABO Bingo Round 1 [5]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha Castiel (Supernatural), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Karaoke, Knotting, M/M, Omega Dean, Oral Sex, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, it's offscreen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-16
Updated: 2017-09-16
Packaged: 2018-12-30 08:11:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12104448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Andromytta/pseuds/Andromytta, https://archiveofourown.org/users/nealinor/pseuds/nealinor
Summary: When omega Dean Smith is harassed in his office by an alpha, he is put on administrative leave in order for HR to 'investigate' his claim. At odd ends and with sudden time off, he heads home to spend time with his family and friends. It's while he's with his buddy Ash that he meets the strangest alpha.Cas Novak is not like any other alpha Dean has ever met before. He seems to live life fully in the moment and Dean is fascinated and delighted in turns by Cas's whimsy. As they get to know each other, Dean begins to see exactly what his life has been missing up to this point. Will he learn to let go and grab what makes him happy at the cost of everything he thought he wanted?





	Basket Case

**Author's Note:**

> I was listening to Bastille's new cover of 'Basket Case' by Green Day and had this vision of uptight neurotic Dean Smith meeting stoner Cas. I pitched this idea to my lovely partner Andy and she jumped on board to help me round this out into something to answer our Destiel Square for our SPN ABO Bingo card. 
> 
> Go check out the song if you haven't heard it. [Bastille - Basket Case](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkfLtxHc8gA) There are more links at the end for the other songs featured in this fic. 
> 
> I hope you find this story as fun as we did writing it!
> 
> ~Neal

_Do you have the time to listen to me whine_

_About nothing and everything all at once_

Dean Smith was not having a good week. It all started at work on Monday. He’d been at the office, as he always is on a Monday morning, preparing for a very important meeting regarding the merger of another company into Sandover. It would have been the culmination of months’ worth of work on his part; however, as he was about to leave for the meeting, Michael, one of the Vice Presidents at Sandover, had been standing in his doorway. What happened next was nothing short of six shades of sexual harassment and the only thing that kept him from being raped at his desk was the very timely arrival of his secretary and Adler to fetch him for the meeting. One would think that with what the others had seen, this would have been an open and shut case that would have resulted in Michael’s dismissal. What actually happened was both men were put on administrative leave while HR reviewed the video tape from the hall and took witness statements. This was total bullshit and everyone knew it, but Dean was an omega and Michael had asserted that Dean had propositioned him. Dean vehemently denied it and some choice words might have been said. Losing his temper hadn’t helped him at all. (Calling Michael a knothead, asshole, and a rapist had felt really good.)

So now, instead of working his high paid marketing job, he was lounging in Ash’s house, smoking a joint. Ash was a buddy of his from high school that worked in his Mom’s bar to this day. He lived a few blocks from the Roadhouse in a small apartment over a tattoo parlor and he always had the best weed. It had been ages since he’d smoked and he knew he shouldn’t, but honestly, by Friday he was a complete basket case. What if they fired him? What would he do? How would he find another job? Would he be black balled from other jobs? It didn’t matter that his mom had assured him that he wouldn’t be fired and his Dad had promised to sue the pants off Sandover if he was; Dean couldn’t relax.

Smoking weed was not his best laid plan either. He knew that. If there was a question from HR and he had to be tested, he definitely would be fired. That hadn’t stopped them. Having this all come up at work, Dean was beginning to think that maybe he didn’t want to stay at Sandover anymore. He wasn’t sure where he would go and it would suck to have to deal with his retirement funds, but it would be better than working at a place where they questioned him on something like this. He’d even been looking for new jobs at least until he thought too hard about what was going on and freaked out again. That was how Ash had found him earlier that day, freaking out over the rubble his life had become.

_“Come on, Dean. You need to relax.”_ The beta said to him. Dean had listened; after all, Ash was one of his best friends from childhood. That was how he ended up in the beta’s apartment, working his way through a bowl of burned popcorn and polishing off his second beer after their first joint. They were both lounging on opposite ends of the couch, squabbling over whether or not _Dude Where’s my Car?_   was the best or worst movie to watch when stoned  when a loud knock sounded on the door.

Dean was on his feet in an instant, which spilled popcorn everywhere. “Oh my god! _Oh my god!_ It’s my Mom! Ash!” He grabbed the beta up and gave him a good shake before he hissed in a low voice. “She’s going to kill me dude. What am I going to do?” The words left him so rapidly that they were barely intelligible but somehow Ash caught them all.

“Dean, my Man! It’s not your Momma. She never comes here. It’s probably just Cas.” With that, the beta turned to open the door.

Dean dove at him. “Nooooooo!” His body collided with his friend’s as the door opened and the two men crashed to the floor in a tangle of arms and legs in front of the open doorway. A loud laugh rang out as the cool, smoky scent of alpha washed over the room. The sound lingered, in fact, grew in volume as the two men on the floor tugged and wrestled to untangle themselves. Whoever their visitor was, he made no move to help them up. In fact, the door closed while they struggled and Dean saw a ratty pair of Chucks walk by and out of sight. After a couple of fraught moments, Dean and Ash flopped onto their backs side by side, panting and giggling.

“What just happened?” Dean breathed, his chest rising and falling as he stared at the ceiling.

“You tackled me and let my neighbor in. He’s probably smoking my weed.” Ash grumbled as he sat up.

“Uncool, Man.” Dean said as he sat up next to Ash to look at said neighbor. The man, an alpha, lounged on Ash’s couch and watched the pair of them with curious eyes. Dean drew in a hushed breath as his eyes wandered over handsome features and meet brilliant blue eyes. _Ash’s neighbor has a serious case of hot._ Dean’s traitorous thoughts told him and then the man’s scent hit him. Leaves and smoke and a touch of honey, all rolled together in a mouthwatering essence that teased Dean’s senses. He noted the man’s loose posture, the ratty jeans and the light blue button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up above the elbows as well as the tattoos that covered his arms and peeked out of the collar of his shirt. He didn’t realize that he was staring until Ash stood up and walked past him.

“Cas, Dude! How are they hanging?” Ash grabbed the man’s hand and gave it a clasp before he flopped on the couch next to him. “You freaked my neighbor out. He’s a little stoned so it’s all good.” Ash nodded towards Dean. “Get up and come meet Cas.”

Dean felt a little ashamed as he levered himself up from the floor and walked over to the couch where Ash and his neighbor sat. “Hi…” He offered his hand to the newcomer. “I’m Dean Smith.”

“Castiel Novak.” The dark haired man took Dean’s hand and gave it a firm shake. After a breath, he patted the cushion next to him on the couch. “Join us Dean. I’m given to understand that we are smoking weed?”

“Yeah, man, we are!” Ash exclaimed as he picked up a wooden box from the coffee table, which was where he kept his stash. “I’ll roll another. “

As Ash began to roll the joint, Cas turned to Dean. “This is the first time I’ve seen you here.”

“Yeah. I live in Columbus.” Dean told him as he wormed his back into the corner of the couch back and it’s arm. “I had an issue at work….and came home to visit my family.”

“So you are originally from Lawrence?” The alpha angled his body towards Dean as they talked. Again, his body was loose and his eyes soft and interested.

“Yeah.” After everything that had happened in the last week, Dean should be wary of a strange alpha but apparently having Ash vouch for him was enough for Dean. “I moved away when I got the job I currently have years ago.”

“Was it a bad issue at work?” The alpha asked next, his eyes still soft as he met Dean’s gaze.

Dean flicked his eyes away. “Yeah, kinda.”

It seemed as if Cas sensed he didn’t want to talk about it yet. “Well, whatever it is, we’ll help you forget about it for a little while.” The alpha nudged Ash. “It doesn’t have to be perfect, Ash.”

“Yes, it does.” Ash grunted as he unrolled the joint and started again. “Talk amongst yourselves.”

“So… Cas. What do you do?” Dean decided that taking over the conversation was a good way to keep it off of him.

“I own the tattoo parlor downstairs.” Cas answered simply. Dean supposed that made sense as he was covered in tattoos, it seemed. The arm closest to Dean contained a Celtic cross with a rosary wrapped around it.

“Really?” Dean leaned forward, finding himself interested. “How long have you been doing that?”

“Since I graduated high school. I went into my first apprenticeship right after graduation. I came here about three years ago. My older brother lives in town and I wanted to open a shop close to him.”

“I’ve always wanted a tattoo but am too much of a pussy to get one.” Dean said with a laugh.

“Perhaps you just haven’t found the right artist yet.” Cas said, his grin widening as he arched an eyebrow at him.

Laughing, Dean pushed his shoulder lightly. “Maybe so.” He suddenly felt a little awkward and glanced to Ash. “How’s that joint coming, Man?”

“Keep your panties on, Dean.” Ash was licking the papers to seal the joint together as he said it.

“Can’t dude. I didn’t wear them.” Dean shot back, not thinking about the newcomer, who gave a startled laugh next to him. Of course, belatedly, Dean felt his face burn as he blushed and embarrassment flooded through him.

“What a shame.” The alpha said, his voice a low rumble as he chuckled.

“Here it is, boys.” Ash presented them with a perfectly rolled joint.

Still embarrassed, Dean swiped it from the beta. “Gimme.” He snatched the lighter from the table and quickly lighted the joint up and took the first hit.

“Hey man… not cool.” Ash grumbled though he was laughing.

“You want me to chill out.” Dean told him breezily. “If so, then this is required.” He breathed in the smoke and held it for a moment before passing the joint to Cas.

Cas nodded his thanks and brought the joint to his lips. Dean knew he shouldn’t stare but he couldn’t take his eyes off of the alpha’s pink lips as they wrapped around the paper end of the joint. It was odd, Dean wasn’t the sort of person who got horny when he got stoned, in fact, it was usually the opposite. Still, there was something about Cas that made Dean curious. Of course, the alpha caught him at it and grinned widely when Dean jerked his eyes away.

For a time, they were quiet as they passed the joint around between them, each one taking the time to savor before giving it to the next one. The moment it was done, Ash went for the box. “We need another since there are so many of us.”

Cas, who was laying back against the couch with his arms spread on the back to either side of them, raised his head and nodded sagely. “You are a wise man and a good friend, Ash.”

“You’re just saying that because you like my weed.” Ash shot back.

“Of course.” Cas answered with a laugh.

Dean popped up from the couch. “I’m hungry. Who wants food?”

Both Ash and Cas raised their hands.

“Then I’ll go see what’s in the kitchen.” Dean left the two men arguing the finer points of Ash’s weed and went into the kitchen. He poked around in Ash’s refrigerator until he found the makings of sandwiches and began to putting together several. When he had enough for each of them to have two a piece, he brought the plate of sandwiches and three beers back into the room.

Ash snatched the plate from his hand and gave him a burning joint. “Thanks, Dean. You’re a good little omega.”

“Not funny, Ash.” Dean scowled, feeling as if he’d been dunked in cold water. Still he took the joint and had his hit from it before giving it to Cas.

Ash winced. “Sorry man, I wasn’t thinking.”

Dean shrugged as he flopped onto the couch with a sigh. “Being an omega bites ass a lot of the time.”

The other two men nodded as they passed the joint around.

“Am I to gather that what happened to you at work happened because you are an omega?” Cas ventured in between bites of his sandwich.

“Yeah.” Dean said. It seemed there was no avoiding this topic. With a frown, he popped the cap off of his beer and gulped down half the bottle. “One of the higher ups decided he wanted a piece of my ass on Monday but instead of HR firing the dick on the spot, they suspended us both so they could ‘investigate’ because he said I asked for it.”

“Am I to gather this ‘higher up’ was an alpha?” Cas said softly, though his eyes were riveted to Dean, the blue glowing intensely.

“Yeah, Cas.” Dean said, lurching across the couch to steal the joint from Ash.

A growl sounded low in the alpha’s throat. “Someone should teach him a lesson.”

Dean laughed suddenly. “You sound like my Dad.”

Looking sufficiently chastened, Cas looked down as he accepted the joint. “I apologize. Alphas shouldn’t take advantage of omegas that way. It’s disgusting.”

“Preaching to the choir, man.” Dean said, and then patted the back of the alpha’s hand. “Thanks though. I appreciate it.”

Cas caught his eyes then and for a moment, Dean was pierced by his blue gaze and felt warmth flooding through his chest, then the moment passed and he looked away. They settled back into easy banter, passing the joint around and then, when it was gone, they settled in to watch Wayne’s World. Dean was glad to leave the topic behind, though he had to say that the conversation had given him a good feeling about Cas. That was something, right?

***

Dean woke surrounded by the scent of leaves and smoke, then quickly discovered he was being spooned. As in, Dean Winchester was the little spoon. Cas, it seemed, wasn’t put off by the fact that Dean was actually bigger than him, he’d curled up to Dean’s back and had draped a heavily tattooed arm over Dean’s chest. It was kinda nice, actually. Dean knew he should worry because technically Cas was practically a stranger to him and all, but on the other hand, they’d shared weed and sang Bohemian Rhapsody together at top volume. At the very least, they were buddies now. Besides, Ash was in bed with them on Dean’s other side. Apparently none of them could be assed to find their own beds when they’d gotten tired last night and had all piled in together. It certainly had made sense at the time.

Dean decided to take it at face value and not worry about it. Instead he began to worm his way out from under Cas’s arm. He didn’t get very far. The moment he started to move, the alpha had pulled his arm tight and had hidden his face into Dean’s back, mumbling unintelligibly. Honestly, that was too cute but he would enjoy it more if he didn’t have to pee.

“Cas.” The alpha grunted but didn’t budge. “Cas, come on man, I need to bleed the lizard.” Dean pushed against the man’s arm this time and was relieved when the alpha let him go with a grumble. As Dean slipped out of bed, Cas rolled over and seemed to go back to sleep. Dean went straight to the bathroom and took care of his business. He glanced at himself in the mirror and winced at his appearance. Gone was the clean shaven professional in a striped button down shirt and suspenders. The man who gazed back at him needed a shave badly, had sleep mussed hair, and was wearing a worn AC/DC shirt that had a couple of holes in it and probably should be retired. He marveled at how quickly life could come apart. It had taken him years to build his life and get his current position and in the end, it took less than 30 minutes to dismember it. With a sigh, he put his hands under the faucet and brought water up to his face to rinse the sleep off. He didn’t get to linger in his negative thoughts for long. Someone started to bang on the door.

“Yo! Winchester! Get a move on, that’s the only bathroom.” Ash yelled through the door before pounding on it again.

“Sorry.” Dean winced as he turned off the water, then dried his hands off on his shirt as he pulled the door open.

“It’s about time, Princess.” Ash snorted then pushed past him. He didn’t close the door all the way, much to Dean’s horror. The sound of the beta peeing drove Dean several steps away.

“It smells like pie in here.” Ash observed. He could be heard sniffing the air as he peed.

“Sorry.” Dean cringed again, dipping his head down to sniff at his shirt. Sure enough, his blockers had worn off.

“Why are you sorry?” Ash stepped from the bathroom, drying his wet hands on his boxer shorts.

“Because I need a shower. My blockers failed.” Dean muttered as he crossed his arms over his chest self-consciously.

“Wait.” Ash said, sniffing the air again. “You smell like pie?” Sniff. Sniff. “Holy shit! You do smell like pie.”

It must be bad if the beta could smell it. Dean pinwheeled back from Ash. “Yes, I do! Now, stop it!”

Ash, to his credit, did stop coming towards him but he didn’t stop sniffing the air. “It’s faint but it smells good. Why would you block it?”

Dean almost breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe it wasn’t so bad if Ash thought it was faint. Betas normally don’t have a strong sense of smell in the first place. Maybe it’s not too noticeable. He opened his mouth to answer when another voice cut in.

“I imagine it’s because the typical alpha will use a nice smell as an excuse to be overbearing and rude.” Cas’s low rumble cut through the room so both men looked at him. He was sitting up, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. “So, the prudent omega has to block their scent. It’s really is a shame for all of us.” He looked up and caught Dean’s eyes and smiled. “Because that fragrance is heavenly.”

Dean felt his cheeks heat as he jerked his eyes away and muttered, “Thanks.” He wasn’t sure where to look at the moment, because a sleep rumpled Cas was strangely attractive. In fact, he found himself drawn to the absolute disaster the alpha’s hair had become while he slept. He looked more than sleep rumpled, he had some serious sex hair going on.

_How can he be so sexy first thing in the morning? He probably still has morning breath._ Dean’s eyes flicked to the closest clock and he winced. _Early afternoon breath,_ he corrected himself. Then the time settled in. “Holy shit, Ash. We slept until 1 in the afternoon!” Tension flooded his senses and his body.

Ash laughed and patted Dean’s shoulder. “Relax man. Did you have plans?”

Dean shook his head. “No.”

“Cool. Chill then. I’m gonna get a shower and head to work. You are welcome to hang here as long as you want.” With that, Ash grabbed his stuff and headed into the shower.

Cas stood and began looking around the apartment for his shoes. “I suppose I should get dressed and open my shop for a few hours.”

Dean trailed after the alpha and found the lost shoes fairly quickly. He gave them to Cas near the door.

“Thank you, Dean. It was nice to meet you. Feel free to drop by the shop anytime.”

Dean nodded as he once again found himself staring into Cas’s eyes. “Sure Cas. That sounds great.”

Cas’s only response was a wide smile that dazzled, then he was out the door, leaving Dean alone in Ash’s apartment.

***

When Dean left Ash’s place a short time later, he made sure to sneak in the back door of his parents’ house and to creep up the stairs, taking care to skip the one that creaked when it was stepped on. It wasn’t that he thought he could fool his parents; they knew he’d been with Ash and he sort of hoped they hadn’t guessed at what they’d been doing. If they knew, their looks of disappointment would kill him. It’s why he took pains to get a shower and clean clothes before he saw them. Once done, he went downstairs.

The house was quiet as he passed the multitude of family pictures that lined the wall of the stairwell. He couldn’t help but smile at the happy faces that beamed out of the photographs; himself, his sister Jo, Mom and Dad. His work life might be fucked but his family was fucking perfect and he’s grateful for it. They are the rock in his world and that’s why he came straight back home when things began to fall apart. When he got to the base of the stairs, he peered into the living room but found it empty but that’s wasn’t surprising. What was surprising was walking into the kitchen and finding that it too was empty. Where was everyone?

On the counter was a covered plate with a note sitting on top of it. Dean winced, knowing he’d missed seeing his mom before she left for the Roadhouse.

_Dean,_

_Glad you could join us at home. I hope you had a good time with Ash but don’t make sleeping past noon a habit, you hear? Eat your lunch and go talk to your Dad. You boys are on your own for dinner tonight. I’ll see you when you get home._

_Love,_

_Mom_

The plate contained a simple sandwich and chips but the fact that she’d made sure he had food meant the world to Dean. He went to the refrigerator and poured himself a glass of iced tea then sat at the table to eat his snack. He’d only been there a few minutes when the door that led to the garage opened up and his Dad, Bobby, stepped inside.

“Finally made it back, did ya?” The bearded alpha grumped at him while he wiped his hands on a dirty rag that he’d carried in with him.

“Yup. You working on Baby?” Dean asked with interest. Baby was a sweet 1967 Chevy Impala that he and his dad had rebuilt from scratch when he’d been a teenager. Technically it was Dean’s car, but he kept it here at home to protect it from the crazy drivers in the city.

“Her engine needed a tune-up. Want to help?” Bobby asked as he poured himself a glass of tea.

“Is the pope catholic?” Dean answered with a grin, and then shoved the rest of the sandwich into his mouth.

“Come on, ya Idjit.” His Dad chuckled and held open the door to the garage for Dean.

Together they went to Baby’s side. Her hood was already up and a light was clipped up so they could see into the engine. “Why don’t you change her plugs while I work on changing the filters?” Bobby suggested.

Dean nodded and set to work and for a time, there was nothing but the sound of classic rock and the occasional creak of metal or a muttered request for help. He wasn’t sure how long had passed when he looked up to get a tool and found his dad standing next to him with what he needed.

“Thanks.” He said as he wiped the sweat off of his brow then accepted the tool.

“Son…” There was something in his Dad’s voice that hinted that the talk his mom had told him to have was about to happen.

“Yeah, Dad?” Dean decided to just let it happen. His dad loved him and he knew both of his parents worried about him; a single omega living alone in the big city.

“Are you happy?” His dad shuffled by his side, looking down at his feet before he met Dean’s eyes.

“What?” The question stopped Dean. He hadn’t really thought about it. “Of course I’m happy! Why?”

There was a moment of silence. “Because you don’t seem happy.”

“I… well, of course not. Everything has gone to hell right now but before that…”

“I ain’t talking about this mess.” His Dad cut him off. “I’m talking about before. You didn’t seem to be happy.”

Dean blinked at his father. “What do you mean? Everything was going just fine. I had my work and my place and…”

“And that was all.” Bobby pointed out. “You just had your work. You had a nice place, sure, but Dean, you were hardly there. You worked all the time.”

“I…” Dean’s shoulders slumped. “You’re right. I worked hard and I didn’t have many friends. Just work friends and those aren’t really good friends, you know.” He gave a heavy sigh and turned back to the spark plugs he was changing out. “I kept telling myself that if I worked just a little harder I would get the next promotion and I would be happy.”

“There’s more to life then work, Son.” Bobby said gently at his side.

Dean glanced up at his father, and noted the concern in his eyes. “I know. I guess… it was just easy to focus on. I was good at it and I thought if I just showed it, they would appreciate me.” He snorted. “I guess that was stupid.”

“Of course not, Boy. It’s a reasonable thing to expect.”

“Not if you are omega.” Dean hated that it was true, but this whole mess had shown him that somethings simply don’t change. “The board room is the alpha’s domain and they don’t want to play nice with guys like me.”

“Well, they are assholes.” Bobby snorted as he leaned in to help him finish with the spark plugs.

Dean grinned and shook his head. “That they are, Dad.”

Silence resumed as they finished up what they were doing and set Baby to rights once more. Just as they let the hood down, his Dad spoke again. “Look, it’s your life and I’ll support you in whatever you do. But… if you want to come back home and do something else, it’s okay. Your mom and I just want you to be happy. Okay?”

“Yeah, Dad, okay.” Dean felt the warmth of both of his parents love and for a moment, he forgot why his job at Sandover was so important. It didn’t seem that way at all right now. “Come on, let’s order some pizza and have a beer.”

“Sure, Son.” Bobby clapped him on the back and together they went into the house to clean up and see to dinner.

***

The evening passed pleasantly. Dean waited up with his Dad, watching old movies until his mom got home. They had a little midnight snack together and he assured his mom that he was okay and there were no asses she needed to kick so far, then they went to bed. The next day was a Sunday and Dean fully intended on sleeping in. His family had never done church and he was eternally grateful as he rolled over and went back to sleep when the rise of the sun woke him up. He planned on staying that way for quite some time and so was a little dismayed when there was a knock on the door.

“’Wassat?” Dean muttered as he pulled his blankets over again. The knock sounded again and then the door swung open.

“Dean!” Jo bounded in and flopped on top of him.

“Jo!” Dean’s sister had been away at college when he arrived and while he’d spoken to her on the phone when all the shit had gone down; she hadn’t said she would be able to come home. “What are you doing here?”

“It’s spring break, doofus!” She yanked the covers down and seized his sides and began to tickle him.

“Stop!” He squealed and rolled away from her, which unfortunately sent him into the floor.

Jo crawled to the edge of the bed and grinned down at him. “Rise and Shine, big brother. You’ve got a visitor downstairs.”

That pulled Dean up short. “A visitor? Who?”

“I don’t know. Some alpha. He’s seriously cute though.” She winked at him then went to his closet and began to pick through the clothing.

“What are you doing?” He asked as he pushed himself off of the floor, trying to figure out who was visiting.

“Finding you something to wear so you can go see your caller.” She tossed an outfit onto his bed and batted her eyelashes at him. “Now, get dressed and come downstairs. Mom and Dad are giving him the stink eye.”

“Um… does this alpha have tattoos?” Dean asked, the truth dawning on him.

“Yup!”

“Cas.” Dean tossed off his sleep shirt and reached for the clothes Jo had picked out for him.

“Argh! My eyes!” Jo scurried from the room as he proceeded to dress himself.

Dean took a moment to check himself in the mirror to get rid of the bed head. He needed a shave still but left it in favor of rescuing Cas from his folks. He went down the stairs to find that just as promised, Cas was sitting in the living room with both his mom and his dad. “Hey Cas.”

“Hello Dean.” The moment that Dean entered the room, Cas stood up. Dean noticed that he had a worn wicker basket next to his feet.

“Good morning.” His mom, Ellen, glanced at him. Dean recognized the look and went to her side. “Cas was just telling us how he met you at Ash’s place the other night.”

“Yeah, we hung out and watched some movies.” He turned an apologetic look on the alpha. The dude probably hadn’t signed up to be questioned by both parents.

For his part, Cas simply smiled. “Yes, we did. That was a fun night. I came by today because it’s beautiful out and I thought it would be nice to go for a hike by the lake. Ash declined to come but I thought perhaps you would like to?” Questioning blue eyes were turned onto him.

Under the weight of that gaze, Dean found he couldn’t say no. Besides, it actually did sound nice to him. He hadn’t been to the lake in ages. “Could we do some fishing while we are there?”

“Of course! I don’t have fishing gear but we can bring yours. I’ve packed a lunch.” The alpha nodded to the basket by his feet.

“Cool. Let me change into my boots and grab my stuff!” Dean said, turning back towards the stairs.

As he reached the steps, his mom turned to Cas. “Give me your basket and I’ll add some things to your lunch.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Cas, quite wisely, gave up his basket.

“It’s Ellen.” She told Cas sternly as she took the basket off into the kitchen.

It took Dean all of ten minutes to get his things together and to be ready to go. By that time, his mom had given Cas back his picnic basket (which now bulged) and they were ready to go. Together they walked to Cas’s car.

“Wait. You drive that!” Dean stopped, his eyes on the gold Lincoln Continental.

“Yes. It’s a good car.” Cas insisted, his fingers wrapping around Dean’s elbow to gently propel him forward. “You aren’t going to say something about my car when you drive a Prius.”

“What’s wrong with my Prius? It’s very economical and environmentally friendly.” Dean sputtered, a little offended.

“It is indeed and very admirable.” Cas insisted as he crossed to the passenger side and opened the door for Dean.

Dean blinked then slipped into the passenger side and let Cas trade him the picnic basket for the fishing gear. Once the gear was tucked into the trunk, the alpha climbed into the car and they pulled away from the house.

“What made you think of me?” Dean asked, glancing over to Cas.

“You seem to have a lot going on and I thought maybe you would like something to take your mind off of it.” Cas answered in a matter of fact voice.

Dean considered this for a moment. “Yeah, I guess that’s true. Thanks.”

“Of course.” Cas tossed an easy grin to him. “Besides, I think it’s a good way to get to know each other.”

Dean accepted this with a nod and let himself relax in the seat. Cas wasn’t like any alpha he’d ever met before. He was weird, that was true, but there was something so honest and refreshing about him. He didn’t seem to follow any rules that Dean knew of; he’d come spur of the moment to take him out. There was a thread of doubt that was plaguing Dean because honestly, most alphas wanted only one thing, but as Cas engaged him in conversation (about bees, no less) he began to think that this alpha wasn’t thinking about his knot at all. He seemed to be thinking about bees.

Once at the park, they left the car behind and headed onto the trail with the fishing gear (Dean brought poles for both of them) and their picnic basket. Dean found out that Cas knew a ton about both the trees and the flowers that grew around the lake. He also could mimic bird calls and demonstrated that.

“You are a regular Snow White, aren’t you?” Dean pointed out with a grin. The blush he earned for his comment was totally worth it.

Once they got to the lake, Dean learned that Cas had never been fishing before and so the omega was quick to teach him how to prepare his line and hook the bait.

“We are killing the worms, Dean.”

“Not really, Cas. We are feeding them to the fish, and when we catch the fish, they feed us. Nothing’s wasted. You know, circle of life and all that?” Dean took the hook from the alpha’s hands and hooked the worm for him. He couldn’t hide his smile when the alpha squirmed next to him.

“Alright, Mufasa.” Cas snorted as he took the fishing pole from Dean. “Does this mean you are cooking fish for us later?”

Dean laughed. “You know what, if we catch any, then I’ll cook them.”

Cas was horrible when it came to casting his line, so Dean had to get them both in the water. Once they had both lines in and the bobbers in sight, they spread out their blanket and settled in for lunch. His mom had beefed up their sandwiches and had included some of her homemade potato chips and bottles of root beer. Dean opened the bottles and handed one off to Cas before leaning back onto the blanket.

“This is nice.” He admitted, his voice full of surprise. He hadn’t expected to be enjoying himself so much. Cas was a stranger to him, in essence, and he expected it to be awkward. It wasn’t, though, part of him felt like he’d known Cas forever.

“Yes it is. Thank you for coming.” Cas said as he unwrapped one of the sandwiches and bit into it. He moaned the moment the food was in his mouth. “Oh my god. You’re mom’s roast beef is amazing.”

Dean grabbed his own sandwich and hastily tore into the wrapping. “Yes it is. She really set us up with food, didn’t she.”

“It must be nice to have the best cook in town for a mom.” Cas observed as he poured the chips out onto the blanket between them.

“Yes, it is, but it’s hard not to gain weight.” Dean admitted right before he stuffed his mouth full of sandwich.

From there, they settled in to eat and to chit chat over their food. Dean found out that Cas was originally from Illinois and that he came from a strictly religious family that had wanted him to go into law. Dean shared that he had been into wrestling in high school and had been the only omega on the high school team. They shared stories about college and life in Lawrence. Talking about living in his home town made Dean feel nostalgic for those days; he’d not been so stressed then. When he lived in Lawrence, all that mattered was his family and his friends. There was nothing he was expected to be or not to be; he could just be Dean. It had been a long time since he’d felt that way but he was starting to do that now. It startled him when he remembered that he was going back to Columbus when Sandover called him back.

Sensing the shift, Cas looked at him with a concerned, somewhat squinty expression. “What’s wrong?”

Dean parted his lips to speak, then paused, trying to figure out how to express what he felt. “It’s just… I was feeling good and then I remembered I would be going back to Columbus… it’s my home now.”

“And that didn’t feel good?” Cas inquired, reaching out to pluck the empty sandwich wrapper from the blanket near Dean.

“No, it didn’t.” Dean answered truthfully as he brushed the crumbs off of his lap.

Cas pushed an apple into his hands. “Maybe it’s time for a change.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Dean wasn’t sure about that. He’d spent the last several years working hard for what he had. Could he give it all up now?

His thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of the bell on Cas’s line.

“Dean!”

“You’ve got a bite, Cas!” Together the two men scrambled over to the line and reeled in their catch; the seriousness of the previous moment drowned in laughter.

***

They caught two more fish before they went home that evening and once there, Dean and Ellen cooked them up and treated the whole family to a fish fry. Cas ended up staying for dinner and then for family board game night directly after that. Dean walked him to the door that night with a warm feeling in his chest and heat in his cheeks; however, the alpha made no move beyond thanking him for a lovely day and giving him a warm hug. Hey, the hug was something, right? Dean told himself that it was for the best. He couldn’t start something with a guy that lived in his hometown. He tried not to think about how disappointed that thought made him feel.

***

The following morning, Castiel took himself over to the Roadhouse after he woke. He’d had a delightful time with Dean the day before, but he couldn’t help but notice the looks that Dean’s mother shot his way all night. He was nothing more than an acquaintance of the Smith omega matriarch, Ellen, however, he respected her and wanted to ease whatever worry was plaguing her mind. He’d come after the breakfast rush and before the lunch rush set in. The restaurant was empty save for Jo, who was rolling silverware at the counter.

“Hey Cas. Do you need a table?” The blonde beta asked with a smile.

“No thank you. Is your mother around?” He asked, straight to the point.

Jo’s eyebrows rose, but she nodded. “I’ll go get her.”  She disappeared into the back and a moment later, Ellen came out.

“Good morning, Cas.” She greeted as she met him at the bar.

“Good morning, Ellen.” He replied with a smile. He should feel nervous, he supposed, as Ellen was a stern and sometimes intimidating figure. She was not someone to be messed with.

“What brings you here?” Ellen broke the silence.

“You seemed to have concerns. I thought it wise to come talk to you about them.” He replied.

Ellen smiled slowly. “Wise, huh? I suppose I do have concerns. Dean is in a vulnerable place right now. I just don’t want to see someone take advantage of that.”

“I understand.” Cas nodded, because he did. “I can see that things aren’t well with Dean and… he deserves better. I may not completely understand what he’s going through but I do know what it’s like to work hard for a life that makes you unhappy.”

Ellen gave him a hard stare for a long moment. “What do you want from him?”

“Nothing.” He answered simply.

“Nothing?” She blinked, as this was not what she was expecting.

“Yes. I don’t have any plans or expectations of Dean. I like him.” Cas glanced up at her, smiling as he thought of Dean. “I want to get to know him. I would like for him to get to know me and if he likes me, that would be nice. That’s a bit more than I can hope for. But I don’t want something that isn’t already there. I just hope I can bring him a little happiness while he’s here.”

Again, Ellen stared at him hard before she shook her head and smiled. “You are something else, Cas.” She patted his shoulder. “Come on back and I’ll make you an omelet.”

***

Dean got to sleep in on Monday the way he hadn’t done on Sunday. When he finally got out of bed, the sky was gray and rain drizzled down his bedroom window. Dean checked his email on the phone and found that he had no new emails. Sandover hadn’t attempted to contact him yet. Clearly, the investigation was still going on. Dean sighed in deep frustration. What did they have to investigate? Michael had tried to rape him in his office! It was pretty cut and dry. He tossed off his covers and tried to not worry about how much money he was losing while not working. He was going to take a lazy day and he was going to like it.

Dean went downstairs long enough to make himself a cup of coffee and then went straight back upstairs to run himself a bath. He sank into the hot water and savored his coffee while feeling completely indulgent. After that, he changed into clean pajamas and went downstairs to lounge on the couch and watch The Price is Right. He made himself a sandwich for lunch and was debating the relative merits of the various soap operas he could watch when a knock sounded on the door. Frowning, Dean got to his feet and opened the door.

“Cas!” Dean hadn’t been expecting to see the alpha that day and was suddenly embarrassed that he was still in his pajamas.

“Hello Dean.” Cas stepped into the hallway when Dean opened the door for him and took a moment to brush the rain out of his hair. The alpha was wearing a bright blue raincoat and a matching pair of boots.

“What.. what are you doing here?” Dean stammered, finding there was no way to cover that he was wearing a ratty t-shirt and plaid sleep pants.

Cas simply grinned and handed him a paper bag he was holding. “I wondered if you wanted to come play in the rain with me?”

Dean was brought up short by that and frowned at Cas. “Play?”

“Look in the bag, Dean.”

When he opened the bag, he found a bright yellow pair of rain boots and a matching yellow raincoat. He glanced up at the alpha and then back again. “You want me to play in the rain? With you?”

“Yes.” Cas said as if this was the most normal thing in the world.

“Don’t you have to work?” Dean was having trouble grasping this situation.

“I own my own shop and make my own hours. I have time to play in the rain.” It seemed nothing could ruffle Cas in this moment.

Dean glanced at the bag again. It was, hands down, the silliest thing anyone had asked him to do and yet….he really wanted to do this. He glanced at Cas, then back to the bag and made his decision. “Give me a minute to get changed.”

The brilliance of Cas’s smile was breathtaking. “Okay.”

Dean scurried up the stairs to change his pajama pants out for an old pair of jeans and grabbed a pair of socks. Once downstairs, he plopped into a chair to put on his socks and the rain boots. “Where do you come up with this stuff?”

“Doesn’t it sound fun?” Cas asked, squinting at him as if confused.

“Yeah, it does.” Dean stood up and shrugged the coat on. A grin teased at his lips as he grabbed the alpha’s arm. “Let’s go!”

Together, they hurried out the front door and straight into the front yard. There was a large puddle that always formed next to the driveway when it rained and Dean ran straight for it. He jumped into the puddle with a loud splash. Cold water rushed up his legs but he found that he didn’t care and laughed even as he shivered. Cas was right behind him and Dean found himself splashed once more when the alpha came down in the same puddle. Dean tore across the yard, laughing like a fool toward the next puddle, which was close to the far fence. Cas was hot on his heels and passed him in the last second to get to the puddle first. The alpha jumped into the water but Dean expected that and kicked the water at Cas instead. Cas laughed at him with his nose scrunched up and kicked the water back. In less than five minutes the two of them were drenched and laughing like maniacs.

Dean had no clue how long they ran up and down the cul de sac his parents lived on, jumping into puddles and splashing each other. They finally stopped when Cas noticed him shivering.

“It must be time to go in.” The alpha said as he took Dean’s arm and guided him into the house.

They went in together and hung up their raincoats.

“I’ll make you some hot chocolate.” Dean offered. Together they went into the kitchen and savored the hot drink. A comfortable silence lingered between them. Dean had never met anyone he was so comfortable with and it amazed him. He wanted to know why that was but he also didn’t want to overthink it.

When their cups were empty, Cas stood with a sigh. “I suppose I should go open my shop and do some business today.”

“Okay, Cas.” Dean took his cup and walked him to the door. “Thanks for this. It was awesome.”

“You’re welcome, Dean.” Cas pulled him into a warm hug then let him go. “I’ll see you later.”

Dean stood in the door and watched the alpha leave. He tried to ignore the fact that he yearned for more than that warm hug.

***

The next morning, Dean woke to a knock on his door. He sat up and glanced at the clock. It was 8:00 in the morning and for a moment; he didn’t know what had woken him up. When the knock sounded again, he glanced to the door.

“Come in.”

The door pushed open to reveal Cas, standing there holding a plate and a coffee mug. “Good morning, Dean.”

“Cas?” Dean rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he tried to clear the fog from his mind. “What are you doing here?”

“I brought you breakfast.” The alpha slipped into the room and offered him the plate.

Dean accepted it and brought it to his lap, which is when he noticed what it was. “You brought me pie.” A slice of warm apple pie sat on the plate, complete with whipped cream on top.

“Yes, I did.” Cas said with a nod. “I brought you coffee too.”

Dean glanced at the mug, but his attention was on the plate. “You brought me pie. _For breakfast.”_

Cas nodded once more before he perched on the edge of Dean’s bed. “I heard from Ash you liked pie.”

“That’s an understatement.” Dean said as he took up his fork and dove in. After a bite, he accepted the mug of coffee and took a sip. “How did you know how I take my coffee?”

“Your mom told me when she let me in.” Cas’s answer was nothing but honest.

“My mom helped you?” Dean frowned slightly, because he hadn’t been expecting that.

“She let me in when I told her what I was doing and gave me the coffee to go along.” Cas answered quickly as he took the mug back so Dean could continue to eat.

“Huh.” Dean shrugged and kept eating. After a moment, he glanced up to the alpha. “Hey Cas?”

“Yes, Dean?”

“This is awesome, thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Dean. It was my pleasure.”

***

“Come on, Dean-o. Dr. Badass says it’s time to get out of the house.  Let’s go out!” Ash announced later that evening as he let himself into Dean’s parents’ house without knocking.

“No way, Dr. Badass.  There’s a Dr. Sexy marathon on that requires my undivided attention.  Go away.”

“You know what’s more entertaining than Dr. Sexy?” Ash tried again.  Dean merely lifted an eyebrow in response.  “Dude, watching drunken people make fools of themselves at karaoke.  Come on!  It’s karaoke night at the Roadhouse.”

Dean chuckled.  “You want to go to the bar where you work on your one night off?  Have you lost your marbles?”

“Never had my marbles, Dean-o.  Now come on.  You’re going to go out with me, get shit faced, and hit on some hotties, ok?”

“Fine,” Dean answered with a much put upon sigh.

***

About 45 minutes into karaoke night, Dean was surprised to find himself having a good time.  In fact, he realized he had found himself having a good time over and over again this week.  Dean couldn’t remember the last time he felt so _relaxed_ , and dare he even think it, _happy_.  Without realizing what he was doing, he was cheering and clapping for Jo as she wrapped up some poppy song that Dean didn’t know.  When she returned to their table, Dean even complimented her.

“Careful with the compliments, or I’m gonna have to revoke your big brother card,” Jo said with a smile.

Dean’s snarky retort was caught in his throat when the next performer took the stage.  Cas walked onto the stage, wearing a tight black tee shirt that clung to his muscles, his toned, tattooed arms on display.  His dark wash jeans hugged him in all the right places.  And he was wearing cowboy boots.  This was the first time Dean had ever seen someone look better in cowboy boots than Dr. Sexy.  Castiel looked out across the crowd and when his deep blue eyes met Dean’s, he smiled and then whispered something to the KJ host.

Dean swallowed thickly before he whispered to Ash.  “You didn’t say he was going to be here.”

“Oh yeah, he’s our karaoke king,” Ash chuckled, oblivious to his friend’s apparent meltdown.

As a whimsical sounding song filled the air, Cas once again caught Dean’s eye as he started singing.

_I'm sitting here in the boring room_

_It's just another rainy Sunday afternoon_

_I'm wasting my time_

_I got nothing to do_

_I'm hanging around_

_I'm waiting for you_

_But nothing ever happens and I wonder…_

Was he singing to Dean?  The way his eyes penetrated Dean’s, he thought maybe Cas was singing to him, but then he’d look away and look around at the rest of the room.  But then his eyes would catch on Dean’s again, and again Dean got the impression this performance was for him and him alone.  Then there was a part of the song that seemed to be meant for Dean and Dean alone.

_Isolation is not good for me_

_Isolation I don’t want to sit on the lemon tree…_

The song finished to uproarious applause, and one standing ovation.  Dean didn’t know when exactly he stood up, but he found himself becoming the loudest one in the room.  A mildly embarrassed Jo had to pull him back down into his seat.

Several more performances went by before the rotation started back up again.  After Jo’s second song of the night, it was Cas’s turn again.  Instead of going straight to the stage as he had before, he made a detour to the table at the front and center of the room.  “My next number is a duet, and I’d be honored if you’d join me.”  He said without preamble.

“Not tonight, Cas, I’m not feeling it,” Jo answered as if he was talking to her.

“I didn’t mean you, Joanna.” Cas said with a chuckle.  “Dean, would you join me?”

“Who? Me? No, I don’t sing.” Dean was babbling and he couldn’t stop himself.

Ash gave him a gentle push to his shoulder.  “Go on, dude, it will be fun.  Tonight is all about fun, remember?”

Cas extended his hand in invitation.  Reluctantly, Dean took it and Cas led him to the stage.  He whispered something to the KJ host again, and before he knew it, the song started.

Luckily, Dean knew the song and was able to join in when the lyrics on the screen indicated he should.  Somehow, he found himself moving and dancing along to the music, and before long realized he was not just singing with Cas, but to Cas.  How did that happen?

_Don't go breaking my heart_

_You take the weight off me_

_Honey when you knock on my door_

_I gave you my key_

_Nobody knows it_

_When I was down_

_I was your clown_

_Nobody knows it_

_Right from the start_

_I gave you my heart_

_I gave you my heart_

Once the song was over, again thunderous applause seemed to fill the bar.  Dean went back to his table, and this time Cas sat down with them. They had to drag over another chair for Cas to fit at their table and as such, were packed tightly in. Dean was hyper aware of Cas’s thigh pressed against his as he reached for his beer. Cas ordered another drink for himself and sat nursing what looked like whiskey neat as Ash dashed up to go sing “Friends in Low Places” while Jo hooted and catcalled him. In the midst of all the merriment, Dean felt as if the pocket of space around himself and Cas was timeless.

The alpha turned to him. “Are you having a good time?”

“Yeah, Cas, I am.” The surprise in his own voice was easy for them both to hear. He hadn’t expected to have a good time there but surrounded by friends and family, he found that he was the happiest he’d been in a long time. Two spots of color bloomed in his cheeks as he found himself staring into a pair of bright blue eyes. He knew that it wasn’t due directly to Cas; after all, he’d always known he loved his family, however, there was something about the alpha that made him truly savor that feeling. When Cas was by his side, Dean had no choice but to be fully present in the moment. It was something he wasn’t used to, typically he was striding forward to the next big thing. Cas encouraged him to sit still and just be.

Cas leaned in and spoke directly to Dean’s ear. “Good, you deserve to be happy.” When he leaned back, he was grinning as if he’d just shared the most delightful secret with Dean.

Dean didn’t know what to say about that, so he ducked his head and looked at his hands. The moment passed and when he looked back up, it was to find Cas cheering for Ellen as she climbed the stage, dragging a very embarrassed Bobby with her. This was going to be good! As a group, they listened to a few more performers and had a few more drinks before Dean was ready to call it a night. He still hadn’t worked out what all of those realizations meant. Ash took him home. Dean tried not to be disappointed that Cas hadn’t asked to take him home.

***

The next morning, the email Dean had been waiting for arrived. The investigation was over and he was asked to present himself early Friday morning to hear the results. With a sinking feeling, he realized that was tomorrow. If he wanted to get home in time to get a good night’s sleep, he would have to leave soon. He couldn’t describe the heavy feeling in his chest when he packed his things into the trunk of his Prius, but it only got worse when he stopped at the garage to tell his Dad goodbye. It felt heavier when he went to the Roadhouse to give Mom and Jo a hug and a kiss. He knew it was only going to get worse, but Dean had one more stop to make.

He borrowed the Roadhouse kitchen to put together a nice lunch that he packed up and took to the car with him, after he promised his mom that he’d call her when he made it home. Cas’s shop wasn’t terribly far from the Roadhouse and Dean was there faster then he’d like. He wasn’t quite ready when he pulled the food from the car and walked to the tattoo parlor door. Still, he squared his shoulders and went in.

Luck was with him and Cas was alone, sitting behind the counter reading a magazine. His smile lit the room when he saw Dean. “Hello, Dean.”

“Hey Cas.” He raised the bags. “I brought lunch. You got time?”

“For you, Dean, always.” The alpha gestured at the counter in front of him and together they took out the containers. Instead of going for simplicity, he’d made them hot roast beef sandwiches with au jus and French fries. (Yes, he remembered how much Cas loved roast beef.) Thankfully the food was still hot when they got to it, and the moan Cas made when he tasted the sandwich was everything Dean hoped it could be, particularly when he got to tell the alpha that he’d made the sandwiches on his own. Watching Cas eat was a joy, and Dean kept stealing glances as he picked at his food. For some reason, he couldn’t make himself eat with this goodbye standing in front of him.

Cas noticed and put his sandwich down. “Dean, what’s wrong?”

Dean sighed. “They finished their investigation. It’s time to go back to work and hear what they have to say.”

“You don’t look happy about that.” Cas observed as he reached out to tap the omega on the back of his hand.

Dean’s eyes jerked up to meet Cas’s for a second, then he looked away to shake his head. “Yeah, not so much. I don’t know what will happen and…” After a minute of not coming up with actual words to say, he finally shrugged.

Cas nodded. “You need to take a lawyer with you as a witness, just in case you want legal recourse.”

Dean laughed but there was no humor in it. “You sound like my mom.”

“You mother is a smart woman.”

Dean shook his head. “There’s no time to find one now.”

Cas covered Dean’s hand with his own. “I’ll go.”

“Cas… you aren’t a lawyer.” Dean snorted, his eyes jerking up to look at the alpha. He was caught there as blue eyes bored into green.

“I am.”

“What?” Dean blinked, having lost track of the conversation.

“A lawyer. I am one.” Cas stated with no hint of humor.

“You’re a tattoo artist.” Dean persisted stubbornly.

“Who used to be a lawyer.” Cas, it seemed, was equal amounts of stubborn.

“What? When?” Dean was sputtering now.

“Three years ago. Here.” Cas went to a filing cabinet behind the counter and found some papers that he pushed at Dean. Sure enough, it was proof that Cas had passed the bar in the state of Illinois and could practice law there.

“Okay… but Sandover is in Ohio.” Dean didn’t know why he wouldn’t accept this, even if it was (sort of) what he wanted.

Cas winked at him. “They don’t need to know that. They won’t look at my credentials, Dean. They’ll hear lawyer and smell alpha. While it may not be fair, that will be enough for them.”

Dean looked at Cas’s face. Truly looked at him and saw that beneath the confidence, the alpha seemed to be pleading with him to go along. Dean couldn’t deny it was what he wanted to. “Okay. You can come along.”

“Excellent. I assume we will leave immediately.” Cas stood up, setting into motion.

“Yeah.”

“I’ll get packed.” Cas pushed Dean’s sandwich towards him. “Eat your lunch.”

Somehow, knowing he didn’t have to say goodbye to Cas now eased the weight in his chest and he began to eat his food with gusto.

Cas got ready in no time and soon they were on their way. On the long drive to Columbus, Dean learned that Cas had indeed apprenticed as a tattoo artist right out of high school and he’d worked that job to pay for college and law school. He’d become a lawyer because that’s what his parents had wanted and Cas had always been a dutiful son. It wasn’t until they both passed away three years ago that he realized that practicing law had given him a lot of money but no time to enjoy it. He hadn’t been happy. So he’d quit and moved to Lawrence to open his own tattoo parlor and to live close to his brother.

They ate dinner at a roadside diner and had greasy burgers and wonderful pie. Dean fussed a bit about the weight he would gain and Cas told him that he would go for a run with him later if he wanted. Dean wasn’t sure how he felt about that, but at least stopped complaining about the food. It was nearly 11 o’clock when they got to his high rise apartment building in Columbus, and both were so tired, they pretty much went right to bed once Cas was settled in the guest room. Dean thought he would lay awake and worry about the meeting tomorrow but with Cas so close by, he fell asleep immediately and rested without dreams.

***

The next morning was not so easy. Dean woke with a feeling of anxious dread curled in his guts. He tried to ignore it as he showered and shaved, but gave up when it was time to pull on his nicest gray suit, with a pinstriped shirt and a yellow silk tie. He looked as sharp and professional as he always did but somehow instead of satisfied with his appearance, he felt hollow. He left his room to find Cas standing in the kitchen wearing a navy blue suit and tie, staring balefully at his coffee maker.

“I can’t figure it out.” The alpha muttered accusingly at the appliance.

For some reason, the sight soothed Dean and with soft hands and a chuckle, he shooed the shorter man from his kitchen and started the coffee. He didn’t have much in his apartment that was still good for breakfast (He’s been gone for almost 2 weeks) but he had some frozen waffles and they made do with that for breakfast. Cas became less grouchy when he’d been given a second cup of coffee and before Dean knew it, they were heading out the door to the meeting.

Once in the elevator to the garage in his building, Dean’s stomach starting doing flips again.

Cas settled a hand on his shoulder. “It’s going to be okay, Dean. No matter what happens.”

Dean looked up at Cas, and for once, he didn’t try to avoid his gaze. The alpha was perfectly calm and somehow that feeling began to infuse into Dean through their touch. He realized that he was right. It was going to be fine. Even if he was fired, it was going to be alright. He spent the drive to Sandover lost in his thoughts, turning this new discovery over and over in his mind. By the time they arrived, he’d come to a decision. As they got into the elevator and rode it up to the floor where HR was located, Dean reached over and took Cas’s hand. The alpha’s skin was comfortably warm. Dean squeezed it.

“Are you with me, Cas? No matter what I do?” He asked, feeling strangely detached from his body as the elevators doors opened.

“Always.” Cas tilted his head to the side as he squinted at Dean as if confused by this change in demeanor and yet, he simply accepted it without comment. Together they walked into the HR office.

Waiting for them was Zachariah Adler and the HR manager, a severe woman named Naomi, both of whom were betas.

“Good morning, Mr. Winchester. Your guest can wait outside. This won’t take long.” Naomi barely glanced up from her paperwork as she attempted to dismiss Cas.

Cas cleared his throat. “Excuse me. I represent Dean Winchester. I’m here as his lawyer.”

The color drained from both Zachariah and Naomi’s faces. She spoke first. “Really, there’s no need for that…”

“Perhaps not, but I’m staying.” Cas said, drawing up to his full height. There was a hard expression and his blue eyes glinted. Dean found that he was rather impressed with his alpha in that moment. (So much so that he didn’t notice he was thinking of Cas as ‘his’.)

Dean put his hand on Cas’s arm in thanks.

Naomi was talking. “If you gentlemen would take a seat we can begin.”

“That won’t be necessary.” Dean cut in smoothly. He came to stand before her. “After some careful consideration, I’ve decided I will be submitting my resignation from Sandover, effective immediately.”

Both Naomi and Zachariah were gaping at him in open mouth shock. Zachariah recovered first. “Now, Dean…”

Dean wasn’t interested in listening. “After this fiasco, I’ve realized that my priorities lie elsewhere and a company that would doubt my word isn’t a place I would want to be, particularly when the alpha in question was witnessed assaulting me.”

Zachariah began to bluster. “I wasn’t sure what I was seeing…”

“No, you wanted to suck up to the new alpha in the office. Face it, that knothead had been here less than a month.” Dean shook his head and tried to will himself to calm down because he was on the verge of shaking. He was somewhere between anxiety and fury and all he knew was that he needed to get out of there. He’d given too much of his life and his happiness to Sandover. “It doesn’t matter know. Keep your knothead. I’m done.” With that, Dean turned on his heel and strode from the room.

“Wait! We need a nondisclosure agreement!” Naomi called after him.

The last thing Dean heard as the door swung closed was Cas snarling, “There will be no agreement.”

He went straight for the omega’s washroom and hurried inside. Alone in the bathroom, he could smell his own anxiety and anger, but underneath it, faintly, was satisfaction. That scent grew as he wet a paper towel with cool water and patted it over his face. When he felt solid again, he walked out of the restroom to find Cas waiting across the hall. The alpha looked and smelled pleased and while Dean wondered what he’d done, he found that he wanted to leave more. “Let’s go.”

Cas nodded and fell into step with him. The alpha opened his mouth and appeared on the verge of saying something and thought better of it, however, the thoughtful expression remained on his face as they climbed into the elevator.

“Out with it, Cas.”

The alpha’s shoulders slumped. “They fired the alpha.”

Dean snorted. “There’s some fairness in the universe then.”

Cas nodded and fell silent again. They left the elevator, returned to Dean’s Prius, and once inside, headed back to his apartment. While they had been inside the building, rain clouds had rolled into the city and now a thin drizzle of dreary rain rolled down the wind shield. The silence in the car was comfortable but odd; however, Dean wasn’t in the mood to break it. He turned on his radio, then switched it from NPR to classic rock and proceeded to hum Led Zeppelin as he drove. They pulled into Dean’s garage a half hour later. They went up the elevator and Dean let them into his place. He crossed the living room and tossed his suit coat on the back of the couch while he loosened his tie.

Cas stopped at the door. The alpha was frowning and squinting in confusion at Dean. “How do you feel?”

“Pretty damn good, Cas.” Dean pulled the tie from his collar and tossed it on the counter that separated the living room and the kitchen. “I feel like a weight has been taken off of me.”

Cas gave Dean one of those brilliant smile. “That’s wonderful, Dean.”

“It is.” Dean agreed, his eyes sweeping over the alpha as he contemplated, chewing on his lower lip. He didn’t know why, though. He knew what he wanted. “Thank you, Cas.” He crossed the small space and took the briefcase out of the alpha’s hand.

“You’re welcome, Dean, though I really didn’t do that much.” The lawyer admitted, and Dean watched as the man’s blue eyes swept over his face, seeming to pause for a long moment on his lips.

Dean licked them and felt a thrill of victory when he watched the alpha swallow thickly. “You did more than you think. You helped me see that I didn’t have any of the things I wanted.” His own voice was low and a little thick as he wrapped his arms around Cas’s neck.

The alpha blinked, catching the change in tone and answering cautiously. “I… think you are over estimating my contribution. You did most of the work.”

Dean chuckled, and stepped in until the two men were chest to chest. “Just take the complement, Alpha.”

“Yes, Dean.” The words were barely a breath against Dean’s lips. They were so close that Dean could feel the heat rolling off of the alpha and his scent was teasing at Dean’s senses, making him feel giddy.

“Good boy.” Dean saw no reason to deny the pull between them any longer. He nipped at Cas’s lips and felt inordinately pleased when the alpha’s breath caught and his mouth chased Dean’s lips. So, he let himself be caught and immediately was pulled roughly into Cas’s arms, his lips parting to lure the alpha in so he could take a deeper taste. The kiss was nothing short of charged; the energy between them hot and live like electricity and left Dean feeling as if his limbs were heat singed. He was panting when they parted.

“Dean… you don’t have to…”

Dean kissed the alpha into silence, immediately deepening the contact as he tucked his fingers into the knot of Cas’s tie and pulled it off. “I know, Alpha. I want to.” He pulled the silken material out and dropped it onto the floor. “I want you. Not just right now, but tomorrow and the next day.”

“Dean…” The sound of his name was filled with wonder and something deeper than just want, something that filled Dean with a heat and yearning. “I want you always.”

That was all Dean needed to hear. They weren’t going to be a one and done. That’s not what he wanted. He wanted _Cas_. All of Cas, in his life day after day. With careful hands, he pushed underneath the alpha’s suit coat and freed it from Cas’s broad shoulders. “Take me to bed, Alpha.”

“God, yes.” Cas groaned, shrugging out of the coat and leaving it crumpled on the floor in his haste to draw them towards the bedroom. He caught Dean’s hand and tugged him roughly towards the master bedroom.

Dean laughed as he toed out of his shoes on the move. “In a hurry, are we?”

“Don’t ask stupid questions, Dean.” Cas still held his arm but was shedding clothes as they walked, first his shoes, then a belt. Cufflinks hit the floor next to Dean’s bedroom door. A few moments were lost as Dean shoved Cas against the door and engaged him in a kiss that was downright filthy while his hands roamed over the alpha’s body, pausing long enough to tug his shirt from his pants. Cas surged against him and caught his wrists, then turned them so he could pin Dean’s arms above his head, anchoring them to the wall just inside Dean’s bedroom. Hot lips coasted down Dean’s neck intermixing scraps of teeth with kitten licks and deep suction. Dean writhed against the wall, squirming as he felt slick beginning to leak from his hole.

“Please…” Dean moaned as he arched his body, seeking friction for his growing erection. He collided with Cas and the alpha ground their hips together, leaving them both panting. With just a taste of delicious friction, Dean’s head swam with the need for more. So much so that he twisted his wrists free of the alpha’s grip and all but attacked the buttons of Cas’s shirt once he was free. “Clothes off. Now, please.”

The words seemed to light a fire underneath the alpha and his hands began to methodically remove Dean’s clothing. Dean divided his time between claiming his alpha’s mouth and removing clothing from both of them until not a stich remained between them. The scent of arousal was heavy on the air, drowning out logic and rationality, leaving room for nothing but want and need.

Now naked, Dean found himself crowded back into his room until the backs of his knees struck the mattress and he plopped down on the edge of the bed. From that vantage point, he could look up Cas’s body and take in his toned muscles and beautiful form but more importantly, he was in prime position to wrap his fingers around the alpha’s cock and give it an experimental stroke while he watched the alpha’s expression. Seeing those pink lips fall open into a soundless ‘o’ was a reward all unto itself and the low moan Cas gave when he wrapped his lips around the head of his alpha’s cock only sweetened the moment. Dean gave himself a few moments to truly worship that cock with his mouth, lapping up precum with his tongue before sucking down as much as could while stroking what he couldn’t get into his mouth. It had been a long time since he’d done anything like this, but the noises the alpha was making left Dean to believe that he was doing just fine.

He might have lost himself in the moment, in the salty-bitter taste of Cas’s precum and the velvet feel of his skin until the alpha pulled him off. Dean let go of Cas’s cock with a pop of his lips and looked up at his alpha in curiosity to find that he was utterly wrecked. Cas’s chest heaved with the panting of his breath and his lips were red and swollen from biting them while Dean had worked. Now the alpha sprang into motion and manhandled the omega across the bed, pinning him against the headboard while he settled himself between Dean’s thighs. Cas’s head dipped down to claim Dean’s lips in a kiss that seared all thought from his mind in the fraction of a moment it lasted, then the alpha was sinking down Dean’s body, kissing and licking flesh on his way down.

The moment he felt Cas’s lips wrap around his dick, Dean could have sworn he’d seen heaven. He threw his head back against the pillows, eyes closed as he moaned his pleasure, his fingers knotting in the sheets to keep himself from thrusting up into Cas’s mouth. The alpha didn’t rest there; his hands swept down and parted Dean’s cheeks before a single finger nudged against his rim. Dean let his thighs fall open to give unimpeded access. He expected Cas to fuck him with his fingers, what he didn’t expect was for the alpha to attack his hole with his tongue as if he could drink every last drop of Dean’s slick. It took Dean a full minute to recognize the whine he heard was his own and after that, he was simply lost. He scarcely noticed Cas adding more fingers and stretching him enough to take the alpha’s cock, his entire being was focused on the pleasure that was swallowing him whole. He felt it build until he knew that if it kept up he would simply break and he just wasn’t ready.

His fingers curled in Cas’s dark hair and he pulled hard, tugging his alpha up and away from his body. “ ‘m ready, Cas.” His voice was rough and low, even to his ears it sounded debauched. He had no idea what he looked like at the moment, but the sight of him lit fire in Cas’s blue eyes as the alpha rose up again and lay his body over Dean’s. Dean’s fingers traced Cas’s cheek and he leaned up to touch their lips together, clearly tasting himself on the alpha’s tongue.

“Dean…” On Cas’s lips, Dean’s name sounded like a something special and when he looked into his eyes, he saw more than just lust. Now, more than ever, he knew that he had made the right choice.

“Knot me, Alpha.” Dean stopped any further words using the best tactic he knew, sliding his tongue between the alpha’s lips. It seemed that was all that Cas needed to move a hand between them so he could guide his cock to Dean’s hole. There was a moment of pressure before Dean felt his rim give and Cas pushed inside and smoothly hilted himself. That moment was crystalline in Dean’s mind; he was stretched full of Cas and that was everything to him. He wrapped his legs around Cas’s waist and drew his lover down into another kiss. He could feel the tension in the alpha’s body over his as he held still and gave Dean the time he needed to adjust to the intrusion so he didn’t make him wait, he shifted his hips the moment he was sure that he was ready.

Cas’s every muscle seemed to tremble under his fingers as he moved inside of Dean for the first time. They moaned in unison as Dean rolled his hips against Cas, taking him deeper with each thrust. The alpha settled into a rhythm that was slow and deep, his strokes long, taking him to the point that he’d nearly drawn all the way out before he pushed back in again. Cas’s hand moved over Dean’s body, down his sides to catch his hips, holding him as if he were something precious. If Dean hadn’t felt the same way about Cas, he might have simply fallen apart but he instead he savored it, feeling that whatever was between them was deep and abiding. It was something that they both felt, Dean had never been so sure of something in his life before this. He was sure about Cas.

Dean lost himself once again in the movement of their bodies and the scent of their sex in the room because neither of them were in a hurry to find the end. The pleasure built between them until Dean ached pleasantly with it until he felt a need for more; to move faster and harder. A slow smile slide across his face as he flex his thighs and reversed their positions, enjoying the sheer surprise on Cas’s face as he landed on his back with Dean straddling his thighs. Dean didn’t let him catch his breath, he sank himself down onto the alpha’s dick and began to ride him fast and hard. Cas’s fingers bit into his hips as if he was holding on for dear life and yet, he still thrust up into Dean’s body. Their bodies jarred with each meeting while Dean shifted himself with each stroke until he finally found the right angle that sent Cas straight into his prostate. Dean threw his head back and howled his pleasure, his thighs bunching as he worked to do it again and again, letting the motion of their bodies beat the pleasure out of him until he was slicked with sweat and panting.

Beneath him, Cas’s rhythm began to fall apart, his thrusts erratic as his knot began to swell. Dean felt a fierce longing for it and he thrust himself down, reveling when he felt it slide past his rim and fully pop. Cas grabbed his cock and stroked him roughly even as the alpha came inside of him, wave after wave of cum coating Dean’s walls. The heat and thought of it, of Cas knotted deep inside of him coupled with the rough work of those hands and tipped Dean straight off the edge. He came over Cas’s fingers, sending stripes of white over the alpha’s knuckles and on his own stomach. Boneless, Dean collapsed back against Cas’s bent knees and just breathed through the release until Cas gathered him up and drew him down to his chest. He didn’t even wince when the wet mess was trapped between their bodies.

“You are incredible, Dean.” Cas’s fingers brushed over Dean’s cheek and caught his chin, tilting it as their lips met once more.

“So are you.” He smiled, snuggling into the alpha’s body heat and unashamedly cuddling him. Being knotted turned out to be amazing and they talked to each other in small voices. When the alpha’s knot went down, Dean slipped off to fetch a washcloth to clean them both off. “Nap time!” He announced, not particularly caring that it wasn’t yet noon and he’d just quit his job and had no clue what to do now. Dean was going to live in the moment, and right now, the moment demanded he take a nap with Cas.

***

All told, Dean and Cas had spent another full day at Dean’s apartment in Columbus, but that was to pack up his things. It hadn’t taken as long as he thought it would, not did it take more than a small trailer to get his things back to Lawrence. (The apartment had come furnished so none of the furniture had been his.) He still had no clue what he was going to do with himself now that he had quit Sandover, however, moving home seemed the best option. After all, he had an alpha now and while he had never been the sort of person to give everything up for a relationship, he was kind of at loose ends and going back home to his family made sense. It was just a happy coincidence that Cas lived there too.

They arrived home on Sunday evening. When he parked his Prius (complete with Uhaul trailer) in his parent’s driveway, he glanced nervously to Cas. “Are you sure you want to go in there with me? I can always take you home.”

“If you want me there, then I want to be there, Dean.” Cas said simply as he reached over to take Dean’s hand.

Dean marveled because he now understood that to Cas it was that simple. He wanted to see if he could get to that place to, so everything would be simple.  His smile widened as the alpha lifted his hand to his lips and kissed it. Dean retaliated by leaning over and kissing Cas’s lips. They sat in the car for a moment after, forehead to forehead.

It was Cas who finally moved. “Let’s go talk to them. Your parents worry.”

Together they went into the house. The moment he closed the door, his mother was on him.

“Dean Smith! How dare you not tell us what happened at that meeting! You promised to call!” Ellen stood in front of them with her hands on her hips, eyes flashing.

Dean ducked his head and was aware of Cas stepping behind him. He would have smiled if that would have meant sure death if his mother saw it. “I’m sorry Mom. I kind of got caught up.” He glanced up at her, his shoulders still hunched to make himself look smaller. “Besides, I wanted to tell you both in person. Can you get Dad?”

Ellen gave him a hard look, her eye flicking between him and Cas. Finally, she sighed. “Fine. Wait here.” She turned and headed off through the kitchen and could be heard calling to his dad in the garage. Soon, the two of them were in the living room with Dean and Cas.

“Why don’t you sit?” Cas suggested lightly.

Bobby’s head whipped to the alpha. “You idjits didn’t mate, did ya?”

“No, Dad.” Dean chuckled. “Not yet.” The grin that spread on Cas’s face when he said ‘yet’ was totally worth the look his parents shared.

Ellen took a seat on the couch and after a moment Bobby joined her. Dean took the easy chair next to the couch but Cas declined to sit and stood behind Dean. Once everyone was settled, Dean spoke again. “I decided to quit at Sandover.”

Bobby looked relieved. “They didn’t deserve you, boy.”

Ellen, however, looked concerned.  “How are you doing, Dean?”

Dean smiled at her. “I’m fine, Mom. I mean, I’m a little bummed because I spent so much time there but I think I’m beginning to think maybe it wasn’t the place for me.”

“Well, if you are happy, then we are.” She replied with a firm nod.

“Um… I thought I would come home for the time being and see if I can start over here. If it’s okay with you.” Dean glanced at both of his parents to take in their reactions. “I’m sure I can help up around the Roadhouse or the garage until I find a job.”

“You know your room is always waiting for you.” Ellen told him, though her eyes flicked up to Cas. Dean wondered what she was thinking but that thought was waylaid when Cas spoke.

“You may have a bit of money to live on to give yourself breathing space. Your severance package from Sandover was generous.”

Dean looked at Cas blankly. “Severance package?”

The alpha rummaged around in his pockets and handed Dean an envelope.

 When Dean opened and read what was written there, he choked. “When did this happen?”

“I negotiated it for you after you went out to collect yourself.” Cas said simply. “When I discussed the legal ramifications of the situation, they were really quite generous, I thought.” He looked at Dean and tilted his head to the side. “Is it not enough? I could likely negotiate for more.”

“No, Cas! It’s plenty.” Dean stood up and pulled the alpha into his arms. “Thank you.”

Cas’s hands came up to rest on his back. “You are welcome, Dean.”

“Alright, enough already.” Bobby stood up and encouraged the two to part. “I’m guessing that quitting your job ain’t all that happened while you were away.”

Dean felt his face heat. “No… um, Cas and I… well…”

“I’d like Dean to be my omega… when he’s ready.” Cas said evenly, looking from Ellen to Bobby.

“Well, then.” Ellen said as she stood up and headed towards the kitchen. “If you’re going to be family you’d better get in this kitchen and help me peel potatoes.” She winked at the pair of them as she went past.

“Yes, Ellen.” Cas said immediately and after stealing a kiss from Dean, he followed Ellen into the kitchen.

Dean was left alone with Bobby. He shifted from foot to foot, not sure what he should say to his alpha father.

Bobby decided for him. “You done good, Son.” He pulled Dean roughly into his arms and hugged him.

Dean relaxed and hugged his father back. “Thanks Dad.”

“Come on, let’s go before your mother eats your alpha alive.” The bearded alpha turned towards the kitchen

Laughing, Dean followed his dad, his eyes already seeking out the blue gaze of his own alpha. They hadn’t mated yet, but Dean had no doubts they would be. He wasn’t in a hurry about it, he knew that it would happen in its own time. While he wanted the house and a pup on his hip someday, right now he had the promise of a new life and love and for now, Dean realized that was all he needed.

**Author's Note:**

> Here's the Karaoke music: 
> 
> [ Fools Garden - Lemon Tree](https://www.youtube.com/embed/Va0vs1fhhNI)
> 
> [ Elton John and Kiki Dee - Don't Go Breaking My Heart](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XcWRl8l9vE)


End file.
